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Thursday, February 10, 2011

New Orleans Original: a Muffuletta at Central Grocery

The Central Grocery in New Orleans is said to be the "Home of the Original Muffuletta." Not too long ago, Jeremy of Faire Les Courses and I had a chance to check it out! Located in the French Quarter right down the street from Jackson Square and Cafe du Monde, Central Grocery is still first and foremost a tiny specialty grocery store. However, that's not what gets tons of tourists and residents alike to flock there like sheep on any given lunch break. Central Grocery is famous for the Muffuletta sandwich that they originated a long, long time ago.

What really sets the Central Grocery muffuletta apart from others is the olive salad. Theirs is chunky and deliciously marinated. The olives add a generous amount of flavor and saltiness to the sandwich that makes it stand out to the eater. Other than the olive salad, I honestly wasn't that impressed with Central Grocery. I didn't find the muffuletta bread to be anything special. I also found the meats and cheeses to be just ordinary. Sure, it is a good sandwich, but in my opinion far from the best I've ever had. Still, the Central Grocery probably is worth a trip for historic reasons if nothing else!